This invention relates to devices for assisting in the servicing of major appliances, and more particularly to a novel servicing support stand arranged to engage a washing machine or like appliance to safely and reliably hold it in a forwardly tilted position necessary for easy access to the internal mechanism of the appliance from the rear and underside for servicing and repair.
The applicant is knowledgeable in the practice of in-home and in-shop servicing of appliances such as washing machines and the like, and is aware of no servicing stand that is arranged to safely and securely support a washing machine in a forwardly tilted condition to facilitate repairs to the mechanism. To the contrary, as is well known in the art, repair personnel typically lean a heavy washing machine against a dryer, a wall, blocks, counter, sink or other stationary object during servicing, often causing damage to the supports used and to the appliance itself. As also is known in the art, when a washing machine is tilted in the manner needed, the entire machine is balanced precariously on its front lower edge, whereupon the machine often falls forward or backward causing damage and possibly even injury to the serviceman. In view of the frequent occurrence of water spills and transmission oil leakage associated with washing machines and other appliances in need of repair, the incidence of inadvertent slippage and falling of the machines being repaired is even increased.
Necessarily, there is a need present in the art to reliably overcome the previously described problems associated with the repair of these machines. Toward this end, the applicant has developed an appliance repair support stand that has been found to fulfill the need that is felt by the industry, and maximizes safety and reliability.
No device that is specifically pertinent to the present invention is known by the applicant, although U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,534,188; 758,866 and 620,078 illustrate closest art of interest.